An Unexpected Reaction
by Emma Boulivier
Summary: She laughed.


A/N: You should listen to Dave Mathew's 'crash into me'... Don't know if this one makes much sense. But it was driving me insane so I had to write it. They are around 16 here. Poor Arnold has been having trouble lately.

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An Unexpected Reaction

Stunned eyes regarded him for a moment. Something dawned on them, her eyebrows furrowed for a brief moment then raised. A lovely rose tint started spreading on her cheeks, she smiled and then...

She was laughing. Sprawled on the floor, books everywhere, legs still tangled with his and she was laughing. Not the typical cynical laughter everyone had come to associate with her, the humourless or the mocking one either. No, this was a full, rich, joyous laughter. It transformed her. Her eyes sparkled, her pink cheeks dimpled, her mouth curved deliciously, her chest moved in a way that was too distracting. Hell, even her skin seemed to glow!

It was all so strange, so bizarre, so...amazing, it stopped passers on their tracks. Classmates, teachers, younger and older students alike. Everyone equally perplexed. Equally drawn by the sight before them. Even Wolfgang stood staring, mouth agape.

She seemed completely oblivious to all this. So he continued to stare, shamelessly enjoying the view.

After a while she seemed to calm down, a smile still curving her full pink lips as she sat up. Her glowing eyes on him, joy emanating from every pore. "Say that again Football head. I don't think I caught it all."

For a moment he continued to stare, confused. Her lips moved again, "Crash into...?" She was breathtaking when she smiled, her lips looked so inviting. Then he blinked; her words finally sinking in. Eyes widening he blushed to the roots of his hair. Shit. Looking up he caught the spark in her eyes that told him she knew everything. The curb in her pink lips spelled danger.

"Should I hike up m—!" Moving faster than ever in his life he was kneeling before her and covering her mouth before she could finish the sentence. Wide eyed he looked around. Curious looks met his panicked one. Gerald was looking at him with raised eyebrows. Shit. He was about to pray for a miracle, for the earth to swallow him, when the bell rang, startling everyone back into motion.

"Ok children! Back to class. _Now_." Motioning for everyone to move Mrs. Mathews turned to the pair still on the floor, "Mr. Shortman, help Miss Pataki up and get to class." With that she walked off. The rest of the students slowly trickling out after her, a few of them casting one final curious glance before turning around and heading to class themselves.

Sagging in relief he turned to glare at Helga only to find her still smiling. She will be the death of him, "You are impossible." Sighing he collected their things, got up and helped her to her feet.

Laughing she took her books and pulled him a bit closer by their still joined hands, "See ya tonight Football head." She whispered, smiling gleefully at his flushed face. Walking backwards away from him, lifting her skirt a tiny bit she sent him one last dazzling look and a giggle before turning around and skipping to class. A giddy Phoebe close behind.

Stunned he stood there a couple of minutes staring blindly at her retreating form.

"So, slip of the tongue?"

Nodding he turned to look at his best friend, still baffled. "But...how did she make the connection?"

"I don't know man. She knows you? She must have heard us talking today. Connected the dots. You weren't exactly Mr. Smooth for the last couple of days. Lack of sleep, uncontrollable acts of idiocy when in close proximity...Whispering questionable song lyrics when you run into each other..."

Groaning he started walking to class, "She is never going to let me live this down..."

Letting out bark of laughter and a "No!" Gerald clapped Arnold on the back consolingly. "Hey, could be worse! At least she didn't kill you the moment she found out you were a perv. I thought for sure she was going to bring out old Betsy, instead she laughs!"

"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better."

"But I'm right! She was even teasing you. I have never seen Helga G. Pataki smile like that. So...she might never let you forget it, but she obviously didn't _dislike_ it. It all worked out. She knows and you are still alive. Now you just need to stop getting all jittery around her."

"I do not get jittery around her."

"Oh, please." Rolling his eyes Gerald sat down at his desk, took out his notebook and turned to stare at the front just as the teacher walked in.

Sighing in defeat he sat behind Gerald, taking his book out he leafed through it lost in thought as Mr. Emmett started writing some formulas on the board. Not be jittery around her. Yeah right. Specially not after the way she smiled at him today. After what she _said _to him. An image of Helga, backing away from him, hands in her skirt a devilish smile in her lips came to him. "See ya tonight Football Head." Groaning miserably he shifted in his seat. Definitely not going to happen. Not any time soon.

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I hoped you all liked it. Remember the lyrics. Makes more sense.

I wanted to thank everyone who has read, reviewed and faved my stories. Thank you guys, you are all awesome! It means a lot to me.


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